Newb question about polishing

[RangerDetails]

I read and watched a lot of videos on polishing but there is one thing I cannot figure out.
How many times can you polish a car before you have striped all the clear coat?

Also, I saw people say that we polish the clear coat and others say we polish the paint. Which is it?

Thanks for your input and apologize for the stupid question.

[jrock645]

As far as how many times... too many variables to give an exact answer. Depends on how thick the paint/clear was in the first place. Also, how aggressive the pad and product combo, and what method was used(rotary, DA and which one, how many passes, etc).

Generally speaking, in reference to polishing, clear coat is paint.

Also, as a general rule, you don`t really want to have to polish a car more than once per year. And you probably only get a max of 2 compoundings for the entire life of the car.

[RangerDetails]

Thanks for the infos.
So if I polish my car once a year(Hyundai Accent GLS 2015) with a medium cutting pad and a light cutting polish(CG V36) I should be fine!?
I only want to polish it because of the swirls caused by the snow brush.
Or should I not even bother with polishing at all?

[jrock645]

I`d think that combo would be safe. Only way to know for sure is with a paint thickness gauge, though.

[4u2nvinmtl]

I read and watched a lot of videos on polishing but there is one thing I cannot figure out.
How many times can you polish a car before you have striped all the clear coat?

Also, I saw people say that we polish the clear coat and others say we polish the paint. Which is it?

Thanks for your input and apologize for the stupid question.

It depends on:
- Paint thickness
- Paint hardness
- Polishing Machine type (DA/Rotary)
- Polishing Machine (brand/power/stroke/rmp/opm)
- Pads (high cut/low cut)
- Compound/Polish
- Technique

I would say I could polish my car 100`s of times before I burn trough the clear everywhere, but when I was removing the orange peel I did burn trough the clear in one tiny spot that`s not visible to anyone but me, and that was after only 2 passes (it was an edge).

The real answer is you`ll never know till it happens (Just like "how many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop?").

If your ever in Montreal I`ll give you a hand!

[RangerDetails]

Thanks guys!

[Accumulator]

RangerDetails- Welcome to Autopia.

The real goal is to not mar the paint in the first place and thus avoid the need to polish off clearcoat. I`d work out a way of avoiding stuff like the scratches from the snowbrush.

It`s not a matter of "going through the clear" but rather of thinning the clear to the point where it becomes (more) vulnerable to things like UV rays. Ford did studies that showed how easy it is to precipitate clearcoat failure- I forget the exact amount of clear they said could be (safely) removed, but it wasn`t much (maybe 2/3 of a mil).

The *only* reason to polish out marring is that its appearance bothers you. Just because we make a big deal out of such stuff here at Autopia that doesn`t mean it *really* matters. If you don`t care about the swirls then don`t polish them out. Thicker-but-marred clearcoat is better in the *functional* sense than thinner-but-perfect clearcoat. The functional purpose of clearcoat is to provide protection for the underlying basecoat (the actual "colored paint") and thicker clearcoat protects better. Looking nice oughta be a secondary concern IMO.

[RangerDetails]

RangerDetails- Welcome to Autopia.

The real goal is to not mar the paint in the first place and thus avoid the need to polish off clearcoat. I`d work out a way of avoiding stuff like the scratches from the snowbrush.

It`s not a matter of "going through the clear" but rather of thinning the clear to the point where it becomes (more) vulnerable to things like UV rays. Ford did studies that showed how easy it is to precipitate clearcoat failure- I forget the exact amount of clear they said could be (safely) removed, but it wasn`t much (maybe 2/3 of a mil).

The *only* reason to polish out marring is that its appearance bothers you. Just because we make a big deal out of such stuff here at Autopia that doesn`t mean it *really* matters. If you don`t care about the swirls then don`t polish them out. Thicker-but-marred clearcoat is better in the *functional* sense than thinner-but-perfect clearcoat. The functional purpose of clearcoat is to provide protection for the underlying basecoat (the actual "colored paint") and thicker clearcoat protects better. Looking nice oughta be a secondary concern IMO.

Great answer. Indeed I`d prefer my car to be protected than a little swirly. I guess I will polish it only once when I will sell it so it will be more sellable.
Thank you all for the infos. The people here are very nice. Great forum.

[Accumulator]

RangerDetails- Heh heh, my opinions regarding the subject of Paint Correction are so, uhm....Autopian Heretical...that I`m actually a little surprised that the "thick but swirly" option resonated with you!

Now if the marring *does* get to where it bothers you, you can find a reasonable compromise between the extremes if you don`t mind the time/effort/expense of getting into that aspect of this stuff (i.e., buying a polisher/pads/products and spending some time at it).

But until if/when you get to that point, keeping the paint 9and the wheels!) clean and LSPed (Last Step Product = wax or sealant) oughta go a long ways towards at least having that "best in the parking lot"-level of appearance. I`ve known plenty of people who kept their vehicles *really* nice without getting really extreme about it.

[rlmccarty2000]

Reminds me of the Tootsie Pop commercial, "How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Roll Pop?". Depends on your abrasive, pad., machine, and technique. Not to mention how thick your clear coat is when you start. Always use the least aggressive method to get your desired results.

[RangerDetails]

RangerDetails- Heh heh, my opinions regarding the subject of Paint Correction are so, uhm....Autopian Heretical...that I`m actually a little surprised that the "thick but swirly" option resonated with you!

Now if the marring *does* get to where it bothers you, you can find a reasonable compromise between the extremes if you don`t mind the time/effort/expense of getting into that aspect of this stuff (i.e., buying a polisher/pads/products and spending some time at it).

But until if/when you get to that point, keeping the paint 9and the wheels!) clean and LSPed (Last Step Product = wax or sealant) oughta go a long ways towards at least having that "best in the parking lot"-level of appearance. I`ve known plenty of people who kept their vehicles *really* nice without getting really extreme about it.

Well, I already own all the stuff I need to do it. The thing is I live in Canada so I would have to repeat the process every spring which is probably not worth it.

[Accumulator]

Always use the least aggressive method to get your desired results.

And keep those "desired results" real-world-sensible

[BlkToy14]

I`d like to ask and expand on this.
My car is heavily swirled. It was a lease vehicle for 2 years. I doubt anybody put any wax or polish on it the entire time. All I`m doing right now is waiting for a good day or two. I have to do it outside.
Am I wrong in thinking. If I go at it with menzernas 1000, then 3500, then polish. Yes it will turn out great. If I keep it up. I won`t have anywhere near the swirling that I have now? In other words... If I keep waxing and or polishing my car. It will keep up quite well. Maybe not show quality. But it should be a bunch better than simply trying to apply polish over the top of the swirling. ????

I do have another question. If you don`t mind. Fits in here. When taping off plastic lenses and trim and such. Of course is required for the menzerna 1000. Is it required to make sure no scratching with the 3500? I`m planning on using the orange pad with the 1000, light blue with 3500.

[RangerDetails]

I do have another question. If you don`t mind.

I do not mind at all my friend.

[Accumulator]

BlkToy14- I haven`t used those Menzerna products, so the following is just a generalized response:

I seldom tape off lenses as it`s not all *that* hard to just avoid them, but if you`re worried about it then sure, tape them off.

I use mild polishes (the kind made for Finishing Polishing paint) on lenses and it`s never caused problems. Plastic lenses get marred up just like paint and that`s my go-to for fixing it.

The "keeping it nice" thing is primarily a matter of 1) not touching the paint between washes, and 2) perhaps most critically, not marring it up when washing (which is *MUCH* harder than most people expect). Autopaint is simply quite vulnerable to marring.